New York Sun Works Inc

Nonprofit Issues:

Education

Address:

157 Columbus Avenue suite 432New YorkNY10023USA

Mission:

NY Sun Works is a non-profit organization that builds innovative science labs in urban schools. Through our Greenhouse Project Initiative we use hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability.
We envision a generation of environmental innovators, empowered to create solutions to global resource challenges.

Results:

We have 21 Labs up and running, and many more in development! To see a map of where we work, and the projects in development please visit our website at http://nysunworks.org/projects/

Target demographics:

We teach grade school students and teachers about Science and Sustainability.

Direct beneficiaries per year:

In the last year we helped build 9 additional Greenhouse Project Labs, bringing our total reach to 21 schools and 9500 plus students

Geographic areas served:

urban k - 12th grade classrooms

Programs:

We grow and farm plants and fish year round and provide science curriculum to promote healthy and sustainable minds for us and the environment. Every year we host a youth conference for students at partner schools to share their knowledge and scientific research.

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Reviews for New York Sun Works Inc

I first heard about NY Sun Works while working at an aquaponic startup company based in NYC. When they invited me to tour their flagship greenhouse at PS 333, I was blown away by the scope of their programming. Not only do students learn about health, the environment, biology and chemistry, they learn practical job skills like project development, team management and critical thinking and cooperation. Seeing all of the heartfelt signs posted by students filled me with joy too.

New York Sun Works is doing vital work in connecting children to the sources of their food and giving them the means for a hands-on experience in learning how food plants are grown. The links between the science classroom, the adjacent greenhouse, and the school kitchen provide a practical way to learn science.

I have been working with N Y Sun Works for almost a year in their corporate fundraising initiative. The management has shown great intelligence, flexibility and creativity in their search for funding. They are thorough and extremely well-informed. The organization runs an extraordinary academic program in sustainable urban gardening for NYC public school children.

I´m a proud supporter of New York Sun Works and its star program The Greenhouse Project since 2008, when the first greenhouse science lab was built atop a public school in Manhattan. The idea was to create a laboratory facility in which public school children could learn the sciences, including environmental science, through a hand-on approach and through experimentation. Today, many more greenhouse labs have been completed in all 5 boroughs to the benefit of over four thousand children, and hundreds of teachers have received DOA-approved training on how to better utilize these lab facilities. NYSW is well on its way to reach its goal of building 100 Greenhouse labs by the end of the decade.

NYSW does a great job of helping this generation of students learn and understand the importance of sustainability in our food production systems. Their model of student engagement in their greenhouse labs, coupled with classroom work and actual food production, is one that that I wish could be emulated in metro areas in other states.

Six years ago my good friend asked me to help with fund raising for an environmental science lab she wanted to build in a local NYC school. It was a totally new idea and we were so proud that we were able to get one funded and built. But we decided that one Greenhouse Project was not enough and that we needed to roll it out on a larger scale. I'm proud to say we now have more than 30 projects at various stages of completion and we have more interest than we would have ever dreamed of. But I'm also super proud at how well the organization is run, how frugal and careful our board is with the money we raise, how efficiently our directors manage the organization and projects; and best of all, how much the children, teachers, and parents love the program. It's really a special charity.

I have the utmost respect and admiration for the leadership of NYSW and their mission to bring Sustainability Education into the classroom to inspire children to find solutions for our Global Climate crisis.
When they asked me to join the board without hesitation I said yes. I am so happy it is possible for more and more schools to have the Hydroponic Systems. It is clear there is a growing desire from more and more schools to expand their curriculum so the children can stretch their minds and learn a skill set that will serve the planet well . This inspires me to find ways to continue to help NYSW grow

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Picked up from the NY Sun Works barge in the Hudson River by one classroom mother and developed, together with another classroom mother, into an elementary school science laboratory, in less than four years the Greenhouse Project has made hands-on urban farming a part of the learning experience effectively integrated not only into the curriculum of 15 of New York’s elementary schools but also into the lives of the children. The children will take with them a personal knowledge of the fundamentals of sustainable development and pride in the production of a healthy food supply.

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One of our goals this year was to focus on the importance of Science learning across the school. Our science vertical team consisting of teachers, parents and our partners with NY Sunworks and Urban Advantage have organized and planned three important Science events: Science Symposium, Science Fair and the “NY Sun Works Youth Conference @ MSC: Discovering Sustainability Science.

At the Science Sustainability Symposium, 5th-8th students were charged to complete a long-term investigation greenhouse project demonstrating their knowledge and scientific creativity of sustainable science. Students presented their projects on “Discovering Sustainable Science.” They demonstrated their mastery of our environmental Science curriculum, which was developed in partnership with NY Sunworks. During the Science Sustainability Symposium, students and staff and guest evaluators assessed project-based learning and challenge based module projects and shared comments based on a rubric that was designed by students and the Science team. Projects were then chosen and students of those projects will have opportunity to audition to be a presenter at the “NY Sun Works Youth Conference @ MSC: Discovering Sustainability Science on June 13th.

Our goal and mission of Science Fair 2014 was to showcase student work in Science that concentrates on science investigation through the Science curriculum.
K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades: Created classroom sustainable science project completed in the greenhouse
5th grade: Designed investigative Science Projects developed during science instruction in the greenhouse
6th graders: Shared original designs of sustainable buildings built during the Sustainable Cities Sustainable Solutions module. The creative buildings address the environmental issues confronted by our growing population.
7th graders: Presented original designs of original hydroponic systems, with an operations manual based on their research of hydroponic farming during the Hydroponic Games module. Another group presented their action plans as solutions to raise awareness and to significantly cut energy use at our school, resulting in financial savings and reduced environmental impact. This energy teamwork is working in partnership with the Pathways of the Eco-Schools USA program.
8th Graders: Presented solutions to combat threats to our ocean during the Conserving Oceans module. They shared explanations with the goal to address the impact of this problem on other organisms and the how it affects the state of the ocean in future years if this problem continues. Another group from the We are What You Eat module presented their research of the current food system and ways to educate our school and local communities about the food system and how they can change it for the better. They also shared their educational ad campaign about their solutions as a national platform to bring countrywide attention to this problem. (8th grade projects will also be presented at the Urban Advantage expo at the museum of natural history in June).